Pumpkin Flan With Gingersnap Crust

I adjusted this recipe (found in the Chicago Tribune). The original recipe called for cooking a small pumpkin. Unfortunately, I had to subsitute a plain graham cracker crust (with gingersnap spices added) when I made it because I couldn't find any gingersnaps at the store. This could easily be made without a crust too. Everyone enjoyed this and said that it wasn't overly sweet. I'm posting it for future use.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 8  eggs
• 1  cup sugar
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 1 (16 ounce) box  gingersnap cookies
• 1⁄2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, 8 eggs and 3 tablespoons sugar until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan until melted and amber in color (approximately 20 minutes).
4. Immediately pour melted sugar into a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
5. Pour pumpkin mixture into pan on top of the caramel.
6. Place loaf pan in a deep baking dish partially filled with hot water.
7. Bake until flan is set, (about 50 minutes) or until knife comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
9. Combine cookies and melted butter in a food processor until well blended.
10. Pack the cookie mixture on top of the cooled flan.
11. Refrigerate at least 8 hours.
12. Run a small knife along the edges of the mold to loosen; invert onto a serving plate.